How to Select a Snack Import Customs Broker | 2026 Shanghai Port Customs Clearance Process and Precautions

Last year,I connected with Manager Jia,who runs an imported snack wholesale business.He imported two containers of dried mangoes from Thailand,but the small agency he hired arranged shipment without verifying the GACC registration qualification of the overseas factory.The cargo was detained immediately after arrival,and was eventually returned,leading to a total loss of nearly 150,000 RMB.Many people only compare quotations when selecting a snack import customs brokerage company,and ignore its compliance capacity,which ends up causing far more losses than the money they tried to save.

Core Market Access Requirements for Snack Import Customs Declaration in 2026

In 2026,China Customs has not made major adjustments to regulatory rules for imported food,but added new requirements for special spot checks on children’s snacks.All imported snacks need to meet three core access conditions:

The first is the overseas manufacturer registration qualification required by GACC Order 248.All overseas food manufacturers exporting food to China must complete registration and filing with the General Administration of Customs of China.Products without valid qualifications are prohibited from entering China.Many small agencies do not verify this qualification in advance,which often results in cargo return after port arrival.

The second is officially issued health certificate / animal and plant quarantine certificate.Different product categories have different requirements.For example,meat snacks require veterinary health certificates,and dried fruit snacks require plant quarantine certificates.All information on the certificates must be completely consistent with the declaration information,with no alteration,errors or omissions.

The third is Chinese label filing for pre-packaged food.The labels must meet the requirements of GB7718,with complete marking of all additives,country of origin,production date,shelf life and distributor information.If the product falls into the category of children’s snacks,it must additionally meet the nutrition labeling requirements specified in GB28050.In 2026,a number of importers have had their cargo detained due to non-compliant nutrition labeling on children’s snacks.

Common Hidden Risks of Snack Import Customs Clearance and Solutions to Avoid Pitfalls

Many people think snacks are general goods with very simple customs clearance procedures.In fact,snacks fall under the food regulatory category,and any negligence will lead to extra costs.I have sorted out the latest 2026 risk comparison table as follows:

Core Criteria for Judging a Reliable Snack Import Customs Broker

There are a large number of customs brokerage companies in the market.When screening,you do not need to look at exaggerated promotional claims,but focus on three hard indicators:

• First,check whether the company holds the special qualification for food customs declaration,and its snack import declaration records in the past 12 months,as well as whether it is familiar with the latest 2026 GB2760 additive access catalogue.If the broker does not even know which additives are prohibited from entering China,the customs clearance process will easily get stuck due to ingredient issues.
• Second,check whether the company has on-site service capabilities at ports nationwide,especially resident teams at core snack import ports including Shanghai,Guangzhou and Shenzhen.The on-site team can arrive and handle issues within 2 hours when inspection is arranged,no need to wait for off-site staff to go through the process,which can save at least 1-2 days of customs clearance time.
• Third,check whether the company provides full-link services,covering the whole process of overseas pickup,international logistics,foreign exchange settlement and verification,label pre-review,inspection coordination,warehousing and distribution.You do not need to connect with multiple separate service providers,and no service provider will shift responsibilities when problems occur.

Reference of Practical Operation Cases

At the end of 2025,Supervisor Hong,who runs a community group-buying snack supply chain,imported 12 containers of durian biscuits from Malaysia.The agency he consulted previously claimed that RCEP tariff reduction was applicable,but did not check the rules of origin on the certificate of origin in advance,so he could not enjoy the preferential tariff after the cargo arrived,and needed to pay an extra 120,000 RMB of tariff.After we took over this order,we coordinated with the Malaysian exporter to modify the origin statement on the certificate of origin within 3 hours,and completed label pre-review and document verification at the same time.We finished the declaration pre-review before the cargo arrived,and finally successfully obtained the RCEP zero-tariff preference.The whole customs clearance and release was completed in 2.5 days,5 days earlier than the original schedule,which perfectly caught up with the Spring Festival stocking period.

There is another risk point that needs attention.Many small agencies quote very low base prices,but add extra fees including document exchange fee,inspection service fee,disinfection fee and other items after the cargo arrives,making the total price over 30% higher than the normal market level.You must clarify all charging items before signing the contract,and do not only refer to the quoted base price.

Zhongshitong is headquartered in Shanghai,with resident teams at 12 core ports nationwide and a cooperative agency network covering more than 30 countries around the world.We provide full-process services including overseas factory GACC registration guidance,pre-arrival document verification,label pre-review,and customs declaration at all national ports.The average customs clearance time for imported snacks at Shanghai Port is 2.8 days,40% faster than the industry average,helping you avoid most common customs clearance pitfalls.